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“I do appreciate all genres of music. This is not music.”
I laughed at that, putting my window down and letting the wind blow my hair wildly about. I felt so free to be away from Carl and my mother’s blind date. It was more than that, though. With Leo, the road was open, the music was loud, and the feeling was easy. So easy it scared me a little.
We pulled up to an ice cream stand a few minutes later, one that had just opened and touted all sorts of wild toppings.
“Have you been?” he asked then. I shook my head. So much had change in Ocean City since I’d left. I barely recognized the place anymore—but in some ways, that felt like a good thing. “Good. I can show you something new. Now come on. Let’s see who can make the most outrageously weird sundae.”
“I love it,” I said, knowing ice cream was the perfect thing to soothe a weary soul after a blind date gone so, so wrong.
***
“THAT WAS FUN, BUT I feel kind of sick,” I said. I’d built a sundae that was a chocoholic’s dream, complete with five kinds of candy bars, two chocolate sauces, and a whole lot of cookies. Leo had opted for the odder concoction, putting maple syrup, bacon, and even some steak on his ice cream sundae. The thought of it did make me sick—or maybe it was just the unreal amount of sugar I’d just put back.
“Me too. I applaud their innovation, but I think some things were never meant to be on ice cream.”
I looked down at my feet, the tote bag with my costume shoved inside sitting there taunting me. It had been fun to escape for a while, but there was still time to get some work in.
“Can you drop me off on the boardwalk by chance?” I asked.
“Doing some touristy shopping?” Leo asked, turning to me as we sat at the stoplight.
“I wish. I need to make some money,” I replied. And then I remembered that Leo probably had no idea what I was talking about. “I do tourist photos for extra money.” I pulled out the princess dress just enough to let him see it.
“So, you dress as a princess and work for tips?” he asked, and suddenly I felt a little embarrassed.
“I know, it’s lame.”
“I think it’s admirable, your work ethic I mean. You have the entrepreneurial spirit.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do, Tillie. I mean, I know we’ve only known each other a little while, but I can see how hard you work. You need to give yourself more credit.”
“I’m not sure if posing as a princess deserves credit.”
“Your never-give-up attitude does.”
“You’ll drop me off then?”
“Absolutely not,” he said, shaking his head.
“What?”
“You can’t expect me to drop you off and have you work the boardwalk in crutches for hours, can you? I mean, you do need to take it easy and heal. I told you I’d cover your salary and medical expenses, and I meant it. Did my accountant call you yet?”
“Yes, but I didn't take the call. I don’t need a handout.” I’d seen the number Leo had told me to expect a call from come through the night before, but I’d ignored it. It felt icky for some reason, even though I’d agreed to the terms. I just wasn’t ready to admit I needed a handout.
“Seriously? Tillie, we’ve been over this. It’s not a handout.” He practically read my mind.
“It is, and I don’t need it.”
“You’re stubborn.”
“You’re stubborn,” I replied, shaking my head.
“I’ve never met a girl like you,” he replied.
“And I certainly haven’t met anyone like you,” I said. But after the words were out, I regretted them. They sounded like something more than I meant. Leo stared at me, his blue eyes locked on mine. There was a long pause, both of us digesting the words we’d just said. Perhaps both of us considering how fast things were shifting between us.
